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PETITION TO UCSF: SAVE SUTRO FOREST
PETITION : Stop NAP, save the Forest
PETITION: Sierra Club, Please Stop!
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Recent Posts
- A Pesticides Road Map
- Season’s Greetings!
- Tree-Thoughts at 125 Years
- Sutro Forest Destruction – March 2022
- More Trees Being Felled in Sutro Forest
- Why Urban Forests Can’t be “Native”
- A Candle for the New Year
- Don’t Feed Coyotes
- Wildcare’s Request: Respect the Nest
- Dr Morley Singer, RIP
- Destruction of Sutro Forest Likely to Accelerate
- Season’s Greetings – 2020
- UCSF Parnassus: December 2020 Meeting Report
- UCSF Plans More Damage to Sutro Forest
- Trees on Clarendon Avenue Felled
A HIKE IN SUTRO FOREST (Links)
BIRDS & WILDLIFE IN BAY AREA (Links)
- Bird checklist for San Francisco from USGS
- Birding – A really good blog for Oregon and California (including San Francisco)
- Birding on Mt Sutro
- San Francisco's coyotes
- The Beavers at Martinez
- Urban Wildness: San Francisco wildlife (birds, coyotes, insects)
- Wildlife Activism blog
- Wildlife Hospital in San Rafael (Marin County, CA)
BUTTERFLY ID (Links)
HERBICIDES (Links)
SAVING TREES (Links)
SITES OF INTEREST (Other Links)
Tag Archives: nativism
Two Nativist Myths: Eucalyptus Kills Other Plants; Mutually Exclusive Relationships are Common in Nature
We re-publish with permission (and added emphasis) an article from MillionTrees.me, a website that fights the unnecessary felling of trees in the Bay Area. The article, a report from someone who attended the February 2018 meeting of the California Native … Continue reading
Posted in eucalyptus, nativism
Tagged CNPS, environment, eucalyptus, nativism
Comments Off on Two Nativist Myths: Eucalyptus Kills Other Plants; Mutually Exclusive Relationships are Common in Nature
Native Plant Restoration: “Someone Pays and Someone Profits”
The article below was first published on April 1st on MillionTrees.me – a site fighting unnecessary tree destruction in the San Francisco Bay Area. Though it references mainly the widespread tree destruction planned for the East Bay, the same principles apply broadly. … Continue reading
Posted in Environment, nativism
Tagged FEMA misuse, native plants, nativism, trees
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4th Sutro Forest TAC Meeting: Nativist Coup
When UCSF surprisingly announced there would be a 4th Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) meeting after the original three, we suspected adverse changes to the Draft Plan. That meeting was held this evening, and we were right to be concerned. Significant changes … Continue reading
Posted in Environment, nativism, UCSF
Tagged environment, nativism, Sutro Forest, UCSF
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Report: UCSF Second Sutro Forest TAC Meeting
UCSF held its second Planning Meeting for Sutro Forest on 28 April 2016. The two hired arborists, Jim Clark of Hort Science and Matt Greene, presented the direction they were taking the Plan, and their evaluation of the forest. The … Continue reading
Posted in Environment, Meetings, Mount Sutro Stewards, UCSF
Tagged 2016 Plan for Sutro Forest, environment, eucalyptus, nativism, Sutro Stewards, UCSF
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Sutro Forest: Risk and Uncertainty
UCSF’s sent out another notice for tree removals. Presumably, these will be the remaining trees marked with orange dots last year. It’s the middle of the nesting season now, and we do not understand either the urgency — or the … Continue reading
Posted in Mt Sutro Cloud Forest, UCSF
Tagged birds, environment, mount sutro, nativism, Natural Areas Program, Sutro Forest
5 Comments
How to Define ‘Biodiversity’
Someone asked UC Davis Professor Arthur Shapiro for a definition of Biodiversity. After all, it’s apparently a key concept in some of the policy-making in San Francisco open spaces. “A buzzword,” he responded. “Biodiversity means whatever you want it to … Continue reading
SF’s Natural Areas Program – More Pesticide in 2013
Edited to Add: We’ve corrected the comparison between NAP and other SFRPD herbicide use to account for a reclassification of Greenmatch EX, a lemongrass-based herbicide. Details HERE. Even as we celebrate UCSF’s decision not to use pesticides in Sutro Forest, … Continue reading
Posted in Herbicides, Natural areas Program
Tagged aminopyralid, Garlon, glyphosate, herbicide, imazapyr, nativism, Natural Areas Program, Roundup, triclopyr
6 Comments
Commonwealth Club: 3 Important 2014 Lectures
The year’s winding down, and many of us are making plans for the next few months. An email from the Commonwealth Club told us of an interesting new series of lectures in January, March and April of 2014. It’s the Science … Continue reading
Posted in Environment
Tagged Art Shapiro, environment, Joe McBride, nativism, Scott Carroll
1 Comment
“Invasive” Plants can Save Native Wildlife
We recently came upon this article by author Toby Hemenway, on his blog Pattern Literacy. Written from the point of view of a permaculturist, it responds to nativist objections that the permaculture community plants non-native or even “invasive” species. Since … Continue reading
Posted in Environment, eucalyptus, nativism
Tagged butterfly, environment, eucalyptus, native plants, nativism, wildlife
1 Comment
Getting the Word Out: Media Coverage of Sutro Forest
In the last few days, there’s been quite a lot of media coverage of the plans to gut Sutro Forest; and the related issue of Mount Davidson, where SF Recreation & Parks Department plans to fell 1600 trees. Some has … Continue reading
Posted in Environment, Mt Sutro Cloud Forest
Tagged cloud forest, environment, eucalyptus, KALW, KCBS, mount sutro, nativism, Salon, SFist, Wall Street Journal
1 Comment
Invasion Biology – Pseudoscience? – Talk in Berkeley, 14 July 2013
David Theodoropoulos, author of the book “Invasion Biology: Critique of a Pseudoscience” will be giving a talk in Berkeley this Sunday. It’s jointly sponsored by East Bay Pesticide Alert and the Social Justice Committee of the Berkeley Fellowship of Unitarian … Continue reading
Posted in Environment, Herbicides, Mt Sutro Cloud Forest
Tagged environment, herbicide, nativism, Sutro Forest
1 Comment
Insects Don’t Prefer Native Plants
New data, but old theories? One argument that Native Plant Advocates make for their attempts to convert San Francisco’s open spaces to native plants (despite the habitat destruction and pesticide use) is that it’s better for wildlife. In fact, it’s … Continue reading
Posted in Environment, nativism, Natural areas Program
Tagged environment, insects, native plants, nativism, Natural Areas Program
1 Comment
Why Low Dose Pesticides are Still Hazards
When we speak up against the Natural Area Program’s frequent pesticide use, its supporters frequently tell us that – compared with say commercial agriculture – the Natural Areas Program (NAP) uses small amounts of toxic chemicals. “The dose makes the … Continue reading
Posted in Herbicides, Natural areas Program
Tagged endocrine disruptors, herbicide, native plants, nativism, Natural Areas Program, toxic
1 Comment
What Adolph Sutro Didn’t Know About the Eucalyptus Forest
Mount Sutro Cloud Forest, a century-old forest of eucalyptus, was planted by former mayor and philanthropist Adolph Sutro (1830-1898). Like the larger and better-known Muir Woods, it’s the last remnant of a forest that covered a much larger area – … Continue reading
Posted in deforestation, Environment, eucalyptus, Mt Sutro Cloud Forest, nativism
Tagged adolph sutro, bias, eucalyptus, eucalyptus myths, Jewish, native plants, nativism, Sutro Forest, UCSF
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The Murdered Tree on Mt Davidson
[Edited to Add: This tree finally went down on April 8 or 9, 2013, following strong winds in the Bay Area.] It’s visible for miles around, the dramatic dead tree high on the brow of Mt Davidson. That’s the Murdered … Continue reading
Posted in Environment, eucalyptus, nativism, Natural areas Program, Neighborhood impact
Tagged Mount Davidson, nativism, Natural Areas Program
8 Comments
The $3.4 mn “Park” at Sutro Dunes
We’ve driven by there a hundred times, and never noticed it… but it’s a Natural Area and a park, opposite Ocean Beach. It’s just below the bluff topped by Sutro Park, across the road from some neat condos. It’s been … Continue reading
Posted in Environment, nativism, Natural areas Program
Tagged birds, native plants, nativism, Natural Areas Program
5 Comments
Happy New Year, with Pyrotechnics and Pesticides
Last night, we went to watch the fireworks from Twin Peaks as the year turned over. It was a clear night, despite a little fog earlier on. The hill was crowded with cars and buzzing with anticipation. People jogged or … Continue reading
Posted in Herbicides, nativism, Natural areas Program
Tagged fireworks, herbicide, imazapyr, nativism, Natural Areas Program, New Year, Roundup, Twin Peaks
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Mt. Davidson Park – An Open Space Preserved for Recreation or Native Plants?
It’s not just Sutro Forest. Native plant interests threaten trees throughout the city, and in particular, in San Francisco’s other significant century-old forest: Mt Davidson. A favorite area for the residents of Miraloma Park, the Significant Natural Areas Management Plan … Continue reading
Posted in deforestation, eucalyptus, nativism, Natural areas Program
Tagged eucalyptus, Miraloma Park, Mt Davidson, native plants, nativism, Natural Areas Program, trails, trees
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The San Francisco Forest Alliance
We’ve been critical of the so-called “Natural” areas program (or officially, the Significant Natural Resource Areas Plan) that covers some 1100 acres across 32 separate parks in San Francisco. While the idea of a Natural Area is appealing (as it … Continue reading
Posted in Environment, eucalyptus, Herbicides, Herbicides: Roundup, Garlon, nativism, Natural areas Program
Tagged birds, habitat, herbicide, native plants, nativism, Natural Areas Program, san francisco, trees, wildlife
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Bees, Weeds, and Nativism
Nativists who favor “native pollinators” often believe that these insects – bees, butterflies, moths and similar insects – rely on native plants. The plants and insects co-evolved, goes the argument; and so to protect one, you must plant the other. … Continue reading
San Francisco’s Natural Areas: The Many Mistakes in the Draft EIR
We’ve posted several times recently about the San Francisco Natural Areas Program. About the overall program: Why San Francisco’s Natural Areas Are — Unnatural About trees to be felled: Destroying the Trees of San Francisco About pesticide use: Toxic and … Continue reading
Natural Areas Program’s Pesticides: Toxic and Toxic-er
It’s no surprise that people are beginning to associate San Francisco’s Natural Areas Program with pesticides. It’s been using them (if the city’s records are accurate) at an increasing rate. In 2009, it applied Garlon 16 times; in 2010, it … Continue reading
“Natural Areas Program”: Destroying the Trees of San Francisco
We re-publish this recent article with permission (and minor edits) from Death of a Million Trees. Plans for managing San Francisco’s Natural Areas — currently the subject of a Draft Environmental Impact Report — calls for cutting down thousands of … Continue reading
Why San Francisco’s Natural Areas Are — Unnatural
WHEN I first heard about San Francisco’s Natural Areas Program (SF NAP) some years ago, I was charmed. Over 1000 acres of city-owned land would be left to Nature, more wild and free than the orderly, gardened lawns and playgrounds … Continue reading
San Francisco’s Natural Areas Program…Where’s It Going?
This article has been reprinted with permission from Death of a Million Trees, a blog dedicated to preventing unnecessary tree-felling. (The emphasis is ours, as are minor edits.) [Edited to Add: MillionTrees updated this post. We have copied over the … Continue reading
Posted in Environment, Herbicides, nativism, Natural areas Program
Tagged native plants, nativism, Natural Areas Program
5 Comments
San Francisco, Biodiversity, and the Department of the Environment
We’re aware of San Francisco’s Department of the Environment as the first line of defense against toxic chemicals in our public lands. But they’re more than the defense-against-the-dark-chems guys. They’re the recycling guys. The energy saving guys. The community gardens … Continue reading
Posted in Environment, Herbicides, nativism
Tagged Garlon, imazapyr, native plants, nativism, Roundup
2 Comments
Kareiva, Nature Conservancy, and Nativism
A few days ago, we attended a talk by Peter Kareiva, chief scientist at the well-known Nature Conservancy. (He’s also been elected a member of the National Academy of Sciences.) It’s an environmental organization that prides itself on being science-based; … Continue reading
Interwoven and Integrated: Non-native and Native Species in Life’s Web
Lock and key. Co-evolution. “Made for each other.” One of the dogmas offered by nativists is that native plants and animals, evolving together for thousands of years, form a closed interdependent ecology. According to the California Native Plant Society’s website: Native … Continue reading
Lament for Oakland’s Garber Park
We read this article in the Spring issue of Hills Conservation Network’s newsletter (the link goes to a PDF), and it resonated with us who want to save Sutro Forest’s habitat. Ecological destruction, whether from building and traffic, or from … Continue reading
Posted in Environment, nativism
Tagged 1991 oakland fire, East Bay, hills conservation network, native plants, nativism
3 Comments
Mount Sutro Forest That Was 